A Crossfit gift guide for the WOD-obsessed athlete in your life
What to get Fran, Grace, and any other friend or family member who spends every day at their box.
CrossFitters may be notorious for having something of a cult-like attitude towards their gyms, but there’s a good reason: They’re a passionate bunch. So while workout gear may be a weird, or even sad, gift for most people, it’s a great idea for any WOD lover. They’ll get plenty of use out of whatever you buy for them.
Hand grips
Gymnastics grips. Amazon
It doesn’t take long in your CrossFit career to have consistently wrecked hands. As soon as you start learning kipping pull ups and toes to bar—even if you’re still terrible at them—all that friction puts your callus production into overdrive. Somehow it takes much longer to admit that you really need grips, so take that decision out of your loved one’s ripped-up hands and get them these. Bear KompleX’s leather grips come in multiple colors and sizes, plus you have the option of picking one or two-finger holes (sneak a peek at the giftee’s hands and take note of where the calluses are to figure it out—if there’s one by their index finger, get the three-hole).
Liquid chalk
Liquid chalk. Amazon
Is there already an overwhelming amount of chalk in every good CrossFit gym? Yes. Is liquid chalk still super useful? Heck yeah. Powder chalk is good for a quick dusting mid-WOD, but when you need that layer of grippiness to last for a 40-minute workout, you walk out the hard-to-scrounge liquid stuff. This set comes with one big bottle and another small one with attached carabiner, so it’s easy to tote around in the smallest gym bag.
Callus repair kit
For the inevitable calluses. Amazon
Okay, so, we know we already talked about preventing calluses with grips, but no one uses them all the time. That means you always end up with built-up, hardened skin that’s threatening to rip open during the next pull-up set. This kit helps you solve all your callus-y problems. It comes with a pumice stone for smoothing out existing calluses, a salve to repair ripped skin and blisters, plus a moisturizer for ongoing care. Think of it like a spa kit for CrossFitters.
Speed jump rope
Many color options. Amazon
It’s rare that a gym has high-quality speed ropes, so give your loved one the gift of faster, easier double-unders. This isn’t the fanciest rope out there, but you know what? It’s simple. It’s got an adjustable length, solid cable inside the plastic casing, and ball bearings for smooth, speedy swings. And it comes in a bunch of colors, because in the end, every workout needs some glam.
